learning

I wish I had it committed to memory (and someone out there probably does and they’re welcome to correct me), but there’s this quote from Doris where she says that it’s our responsibility to teach ourselves the things that we never learned. I think about it a lot, usually when I’m trying to work up the energy to read a book that’s challenging or when consoling myself after making expensive mistakes in the kitchen. But mostly, I think about how it’s our jobs to teach ourselves, sure, but that we don’t necessarily have to do it alone. In fact, it’s almost always better if someone helps you learn.

One of the biggest advantages of DIY is that it is essentially both solitary and communal–Do It Yourself ends up being Do It Ourselves (or, as FMLY says, Do It Together) as we use our projects to connect with others and share ideas. Two exciting organizations that really embody this community-based approach to learning are DIY Grad School and The Public School. The Public School is currently having a series that is for people who are taking a class through Open Course Ware from MIT, which adds a nice, social element to what might otherwise be a pretty lonely online course.

It’s raining in L.A. and it will be all weekend. Maybe I’ll tap into some of these resources.